Wondering what this truck is worth. Need to make decision soon on whether to get the engine replaced and can't find blue book on it...too old. Can anyone give me a ball park on what it is worth running and in good condition?

 

Need more info. Are we talking a rust bucket with a solid motor, but 300k miles? Or a pristine 87 with 50k miles that's never seen snow?

 

Great questions. We are talking about my Dad's old truck which he took fishing and to the hardware store and the compost place and drove around town for the first 15 years. Then it fell into the hands of my nephew who maybe changed the oil twice in the following eight years. It needs a new engine, but the body is sound with no rust. It has a few dents but no real damage. As far as I know it has never been in an accident. My Dad took great care of it. The mileage says 55K but it is probably 155K.

 

Depends on what you want to do with it. If you need a decent reliable hauler or cheap Daily Driver then go for it but if you don't really have a use for it you'd probably be totaling it out with the price of a rebuild. When i looked at my 03 for a new trans the auto totaled it out but my truck is my daily driver and only car so it made sense for me to do it. Depends on your situation though seems to have some sentimental value to you and that alone may be worth the price of a motor. Seen them go for $1500-$2500 here in Georgia though to get you a ballpark and I'm looking at an 87 for my brother as a project truck and the motor remanufactured locally is $1900 so it pretty much totals the truck.

 

Just to clarify; do you mean that the motor would cost somewhere in the range of 1500 to 2500, or the truck would go for 1500 to 2500, or both? I have an estimate for the work which includes a re-manutactured engine and radiator and the labor for $5585. I was thinking half that when I had to truck towed to a mechanic (unfortunately my nephew's father-in-law began to dismantle it to look for what was wrong and putting it back together to get a pressure test would cost too much and the prognosis was already dim with the oil and water mix that he found!). And you are correct, there is sentimental value to this truck for me. My Dad wanted to give it to me, but his wife wanted it to go to my nephew, so I agreed with the stipulation that I get it after he no longer needed it. I could really use it for home chores in the rural area I live in as we have few basic services and I have to haul my yard waste myself and everything else. But it would not be my primary vehicle.

 

Yes in pristine shape which is no dents good paint and interior and in running condition at most probably $4500 if you sold the truck and thats the very high end of the price range most go for the $1500-$2500 price range. There not collectible and they were fleet trucks so theres tons of them out there which really drives down the price unfortunately. If you need it $5000 for a motor is not unheard of but if its just a trash hauler id considered a used engine with low miles from a scrapyard it will probably nock a couple thousand of that repair bill but unless you have the means to do it yourself labor will kill you. The last 2 motors i swapped at work were billed about 10 hours at $85/hour it adds up fast. The rebuilt 2.9l I'm looking at for my brothers truck is $1905 from a local builder were only doing it because we found a rare Ranger GT more desirable for a 16 year old but a scrapyard motor will probably be around $700-$900.
Also rebuilt is a common misconception that is just the long block so there quoting you the engine plus whatever other odds and ends have to be added such as water pump and accessories that may or may not have to be replaced some parts from the old motor can be reused but some have to be replaced to validate the rebuilt motors warranty thats where a lot of the price comes from its not quite as easy as just dropping it in and going. Hope the info helps you make a decision!